| 1978 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Hugh Culverhouse |
| Head coach | John McKay |
| Home field | Tampa Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 5–11 |
| Division place | 5th NFC Central |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | NT Dave Pear |
| AP All-Pros | DE Lee Roy Selmon |
| Team MVP | LB Dewey Selmon |
The 1978 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's third season in the National Football League, the third playing their home games at Tampa Stadium, and the third under head coach John McKay. As their two 1977 victories had been in the last two games of the season, they entered the 1978 season with the longest active winning streak in the NFC Central.
The Buccaneers entered the season with new offensive talent, having selected Doug Williams with the 17th overall pick of the draft. This choice was questioned by many, as there was still an element of society who claimed that a black quarterback was not mentally capable of winning in the NFL, and prejudice is believed to have been a factor in Williams having been drafted as low as seventeenth. According to Buccaneer coach John McKay, "All things being equal, Williams would have gone higher in the draft".[1] Second-year tight end Jimmie Giles, part of the trade that landed Williams, emerged as the Buccaneers’ first receiving threat and still holds several of their scoring records.[2]